In the last year, multiple insiders have substantially increased their holdings of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) stock, indicating that insiders' optimism about the company's prospects has increased.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

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The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Centene

The Independent Director Thomas Greco made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$1.0m worth of shares at a price of US$59.75 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$60.06. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. The good news for Centene share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

While Centene insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Check out our latest analysis for Centene NYSE:CNC Insider Trading Volume May 16th 2025

Centene is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations,  this freelist of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Centene Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Centene insiders own about US$103m worth of shares (which is 0.3% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

So What Do The Centene Insider Transactions Indicate?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Centene shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Judging from their transactions, and high insider ownership, Centene insiders feel good about the company's future. Therefore, you should definitely take a look at this FREEreport showing analyst forecasts for Centene.

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Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this freelist of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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